Raker Trial Gardens To Open Soon

The Raker Trial Gardens will officially open to the public July 16 in Litchfield, Mich., where gardens cover more than three acres and include a variety of annuals and perennials used primarily for horticulture comparison trials.

This year, C. Raker & Sons has conducted three main trials. The annual comparison trials contain varieties like French marigolds, osteospermum, heuchera and miniature impatiens. The container trials consist of 220 examples of monoculture and mixed culture varieties in 20-inch patio containers, and the hanging basket trials include more than 300 varieties.

New attractions to the Raker Trial Gardens are the breeder beds, 16 beds designed by professional landscapers and sponsored by industry companies.

The trial gardens are open through August 29 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. For more information, click here.

Cultivate'17 attendees had a chance to visit the annual and container trials at The Ohio State University to see how some of the newest plant introductions are performing. Here's some of the new plants that stood out.

With container gardening becoming more of a lifestyle among consumers than a trend, and breeders continuing to put more effort in container mixes and components, I feel I would be remiss if I didn't share some of the special combinations that not only caught my eye at California Spring Trials, but absolutely took my breath away and made me want to immediately get started gardening.

Cultivate'17 attendees had a chance to visit the annual and container trials at The Ohio State University to see how some of the newest plant introductions are performing. Here's some of the new plants that stood out.

With container gardening becoming more of a lifestyle among consumers than a trend, and breeders continuing to put more effort in container mixes and components, I feel I would be remiss if I didn't share some of the special combinations that not only caught my eye at California Spring Trials, but absolutely took my breath away and made me want to immediately get started gardening.

The Greenhouse Grower team saw loads of memorable plants during day four, as it visited Dümmen Orange, Chisan Orchids, and Windmill Nursery. Dümmen had several notable introductions, including Wild Romance New Guinea impatiens in Blush Pink and White, which inspired the theme of its displays. One of the standout displays was its perennial combos with some new leucanthemum additions. Chisan Orchids in Los Alamos, CA, with Israeli breeders Hishtil, Jaldety, and Cohen Propagators, was a new stop on the route this year. Hishtil has a new gaura series out that includes a compact, low-growing variety, ‘Baby,’ with a mass of pink blooms. Cohen displayed Verbena ‘Mickey Red Rose,’ a unique bi-color that looks like a mixed combo, and Jaldety featured an interesting Cyperus prolifera. Windmill Nursery was the last stop of the day, with breeders Terra Nova Nurseries, Kientzler, J. Berry Nursery, and KiwiFlora. Terra Nova had several new heuchera for show, including ‘Onyx,’ which is a mounding, […]

Although there are so many companies in this business, it still seems like we are all part of the same team. We strive to find solutions to the problems we share. We all get worked up over each other’s introductions. But what’s most exciting is that we all make the future of horticulture something to write home about.

Benary changed the game this year, in a few different ways. From the new distribution announcement, connecting virtual reality with gardening to social media, drones, and helicopters, day 2 of CAST was a wild ride.